Guardiola said: “Even at City, there are salaries we cannot pay. There are budgets with transfers that we ­cannot pay. Maybe, in the future, it’s going to happen, but we did not pay for one player £100m, or £90m or £80m.

Guardiola argues even megabucks City don't have the money to build a Quadruple-winning squad (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

“We cannot pay that right now. They have told me we cannot. And the ­salaries, we cannot pay too. That is the truth.”

And Guardiola has ­revealed that City’s careful financial policy has meant they could not ­afford to give him a squad ­capable of winning the Quadruple this season.

City are on the verge of landing Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte (right, top) in a £57m swoop and are also locked in ­negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk about ­£50m-rated ­Brazil ­midfielder Fred.

City are 12 points clear with 14 games to go after winning 21 of the first 24 matches (Image: Getty Images)

Guardiola's men have won through to a Carabao Cup final against Arsenal next month (Image: Getty)

The Blues breezed through to the Champions League last-16, where they will be big favourites against Basel (Image: Man City via Getty)

Those deals will take the club’s spending in the 18 months since the Catalan arrived at the Etihad to ­an incredible £520m.

City face Cardiff in the fourth round of the FA Cup this afternoon after a week which has seen them ­remain 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League and reach the Carabao Cup Final.

But their boss still refuses to contemplate the prospect of adding the Champions League to an ­unprecedented ­domestic clean sweep.

Sanchez ended up with Manchester's Reds not Blues because the latter baulked at his wages (Image: PA)

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

Guardiola reckons he needs a squad of 22 world-class players to have any hope of doing a ­historic Quadruple.

He said: “When you want to ­handle four competitions, ­sometimes you have to be lucky with injuries – or you have 22 top players to compete.

“Maybe people don’t ­believe me, but we just don’t have the money to have the 22 top players you need.

Read More

The previous season, almost £180m was invested on six senior recruits. It means the £55m spent on Kevin De Bruyne in 2015 ­remains the club’s record fee.

Since then, United have spent £89m on Paul Pogba and £75m on Romelu Lukaku, Liverpool have made £75m Virgil van Dijk the world’s most expensive defender, while Alvaro Morata cost Chelsea £58m.

Guardiola’s need to retool his squad meant City were unable to compete with Paris Saint- Germain for Kylian Mbappe when Monaco agreed a deal for the ­teenage French sensation that will bank them £166m later this year.

Champions League group stage foe Fred could soon be John Stones and Kevin de Bruyne's teammate (Image: Getty)